The destroyer that filled an unbuilt cruiser's role

The Ticonderogas were conceived as Aegis destroyers that would support larger nuclear-powered Aegis or strike cruisers. When the nuclear cruisers were cancelled, the smaller ships inherited the air-warfare and cruiser functions planned for the absent senior class. The Royal Navy's Type 82 and Type 42 relationship provides a comparison: only one Type 82 was built, so the Type 42 carried the wider fleet requirement. In both cases, cancellation shifted responsibility down to a smaller design and changed how that design was used and classified.